This application is related to and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/374,892, filed Aug. 18, 2010, incorporated herein by reference.
The look of fullness of hair is a positive, desirable and sought-after characteristic for many people. That is one of the reasons why clean hair looks good. When hair is dirty, oil and sebum on the hair make it appear to be flat; it lacks fullness, feels weighted down, is stiff and difficult to style. On the other hand, clean hair has a fullness and bounciness which makes it look good. It is also easier to style. Fullness is particularly desirable and difficult to obtain with some of the current hair care products which tend to deposit oily conditioning materials on the hair, which can make it appear to be flat and lack volume.
Achieving this fullness characteristic in hair is called volumizing. A composition which provides a fullness and bounciness to hair, even hair that is not completely clean, is called a volumizing composition and provides a very desirable benefit. The present invention defines hair compositions (such as shampoos, conditioners and volumizing sprays) that provide improved volume, body, fullness, movement and/or stylability to hair. This is achieved using a specific class of waxy materials which is defined herein. While some of these waxy materials are known for use in hair conditioning compositions, in combination with conditioning materials such as silicones and long chain quaternary ammonium compounds, for the purpose of providing conditioning benefits, they have not heretofore been used on their own to provide volumizing benefits.
Waxy materials, such as beeswax and candelilla wax, have been used at high levels in hair waxes and hair pomades to provide shape and styling to hair.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,787,130, Dhandhere et al, issued Sep. 7, 2004, describes the use of silicone pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA's) in shampoos and conditioners to provide a hair volumizing benefit. The silicone PSA includes a polydimethylsiloxane gum component and a silicone resin component. The defined compositions and examples include standard conditioning materials, such as mono-long chain quaternary ammonium materials, silicone liquid, and long chain alcohols, which are minimized in the present invention.
U.S. Published Patent Application 2008/0112904, Chan et al, published May 15, 2008, teaches the use of particles of cationic guar gum cross-linked with glyoxal in shampoos and conditioners to provide hair volumizing benefits.
PCT Published Patent Application WO 01/39735, Venkateswaran et al, published Jun. 7, 2001, discloses conditioning shampoos comprising an anionic surfactant, a cationic silicone emulsion which includes a cationic surfactant and a mechanically-emulsifiable silicone compound (which can be a silicone resin) having a defined particle size, and an aqueous carrier. The disclosed compositions include standard conditioning materials, such as mono-long chair quaternary ammonium materials, silicone liquid, and long chain alcohols, which are minimized in the present invention.